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are australians unprepared for the workplace of the future?

Randstad research reveals Australians not worried about future jobs.

Nationwide research, conducted by HR services and recruitment company, Randstad, has revealed an astonishing 84% of Australians are not concerned that technological advancements will affect their job in the future.

Leading technologist futurist, Shara Evans is not surprised with Randstad’s research findings and urges Australians to start preparing themselves for a future with automation.

The Randstad Employer Brand Research looked into the causes of stress in the workplace. It is Australians’ attitudes towards technology and automation that was the biggest surprise in the findings. The majority of Australians (84%) are not concerned that automation will affect their future job and 77% of respondents believe that they won’t need to change careers in the next ten years.

Whereas, one in two Australians believe the biggest cause of stress at work is working longer hours. This was closely followed by: meeting role expectations (48%); fear of redundancy (43%); and pressure from managers (42%) as other work related issues causing stress. “The gap between perception and reality is fascinating”, commented Randstad’s CEO, Frank Ribuot. “Automation is a major factor impacting employees globally, however Australians are more focused on short term concerns, such as working longer hours, when the real threat and opportunities are coming from technological advancements”, said Ribuot.

Technologist futurist, Shara Evans commented, “I’m not surprised to hear these research results. Australians and many people around the world seem naïve when it comes to the potential impact technology will have within their workplace. “The reality is that 40%[1] of current jobs in Australia won’t exist in ten to fifteen years due to automation, that’s five million jobs gone. If I look at the exponential advancements in technology, it is very clear that this figure will continue to rise. In many cases, jobs may not completely disappear but the skillsets for the work being done will need to change into something completely different.

“If we look towards 2030, the workplace of the future will be a very different place. We are already seeing robots performing concierge tasks within the retail space and the future workplace will see humanoid type robots with greater physical capabilities. The technological developments and opportunities are here and it is essential that Australians start embracing these changes and planning ahead”, commented Evans.

Ribuot added, “It is crucial for businesses to take advantage of the amazing range of developing technologies to stay relevant. Organisations need to understand how automation will potentially affect their business, they need to plan for these advancements, educate employees and look at reskilling options as new jobs and new business needs are created, often in areas where experience is limited or not available”.

The Randstad Employer Brand Research gives unique insights into the key drivers of talent attraction within Australia and across 26 countries globally. Australia’s most attractive employers will be announced on Thursday, May 4 at the annual Randstad Employer Brand Awards in Sydney.